Light guiding device, display device with same and method for manufacturing same

ABSTRACT

A light guiding device can include a light entering face, a light exiting face and an extension face. The light exiting face intersects the light entering face at a first intersecting line. The extension face connects the light entering face and the light exiting face. The extension face and the light entering face collectively define an included angle facing the light exiting face, and the included angle is an obtuse angle. A display device with the light guiding device and a method for manufacturing the light guiding device are also provided.

FIELD

The subject matter herein generally relates to display technology, andparticularly to a light guiding device, a display device with the lightguiding device, and a method for manufacturing the light guiding device.

BACKGROUND

With the development of display technology, large screen display as onekind of flat panel displays has a certain consumer market. Generally,the larger screen display is realized by combining two or more displayscreens together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by wayof example only, with reference to the attached figures.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a light guiding device in accordance withan embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the light guiding device in FIG. 1, butviewed from a different aspect.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a display device applying the lightguiding device in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for manufacturing a light guiding device inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a stacked structure of glass substratesand transparent adhesive layers.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a light guiding device in accordance withan alternative embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a similar view of the light guiding device in FIG. 6, butviewed from a different aspect.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a stacked structure of glass substratesand transparent adhesive layers.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the stacked structure in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among thedifferent figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. Inaddition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide athorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, itwill be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that theembodiments described herein can be practiced without these specificdetails. In other instances, methods, procedures and components have notbeen described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevantfeature being described. Also, the description is not to be consideredas limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawingsare not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may beexaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the presentdisclosure.

Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now bepresented.

The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly orindirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarilylimited to physical connections. The connection can be such that theobjects are permanently connected or releasably connected. The term“comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarilylimited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion ormembership in the so-described combination, group, series and the like.

The present disclosure is described in relation to a light guidingdevice. The light guiding device can include a light entering face, alight exiting face and an extension face. The light exiting faceintersects the light entering face at a first intersecting line. Theextension face connects the light entering face and the light exitingface. The extension face and the light entering face collectively definean included angle facing the light exiting face, and the included angleis an obtuse angle.

The present disclosure is described further in relation to a displaydevice. The display device can include two screens arranged side byside, frame located between the two screens and two light guidingdevices. Each of the screens can include a light outputting face. Thetwo light guiding devices are coupled to the two screens and arrangedside by side. Each of the light guiding devices can include a lightentering face, a light exiting face and an extension face. The lightexiting face intersects the light entering face. The extension faceconnects the light entering face and the light exiting face. The lightentering faces of the two light guiding devices are coupled to the lightoutputting faces of the two screens respectively, the light exitingfaces of the two light guiding devices are coupled to each other, theextension faces of the two light guiding devices collectively define ashielding space between the light exiting faces and the light outputtingfaces, and the frame is received in the shielding space.

The present disclosure is described further in relation to a method formanufacturing a light guiding device. The method can include thefollowing components. A plurality of glass substrates and a plurality oftransparent adhesive layers are provided. The plurality of glasssubstrates and the plurality of transparent adhesive layers arealternately stacked to be a stacked structure. The stacked structure caninclude a top face, a bottom face opposite to the top face, a side faceand an additional side face parallel to and opposite to the side face.The stacked structure can defines a first precutting plane, a secondprecutting plane and a third precutting plane. The first precuttingplane extends from an intersecting line of the side face and the topface to an intersecting line of the additional side face and the bottomface. The second precutting plane intersects the first precutting planeand the additional side face. The third precutting plane intersects thefirst precutting plane and the side face. The second precutting plane isparallel to the third precutting plane. The stacked structure is cutalong the first precutting plane, the second precutting plane and thethird precutting plane.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate a light guiding device 10 of an embodimentof the present disclosure. The light guiding device 10 can include alight entering face 101, a light exiting face 102, an extension face103, a first coupling face 104 and a second coupling face 105.

The light entering face 101, the light exiting face 102 and theextension face 103 are coupled to each other and collectively form astructure of triangular prism. The light exiting face 102 has a wholearea larger than that of the light entering face 101. The extension face103 connects the light entering face 101 and the light exiting face 102.The extension face 103 and the light entering face 101 collectivelydefine an included angle facing the light exiting face 102. The includedangle between the extension face 103 and the light entering face 101 isan obtuse angle.

In at least one embodiment, the light entering face 101, the lightexiting face 102 and the extension face 103 each are located between andperpendicular to the first coupling face 104 and the second couplingface 105.

The light entering face 101 and the light exiting face 102 areintersected at a first intersecting line 106. The light exiting face 102and the extension face 103 are intersected at a second intersecting ling107. In the illustrated embodiment, the first intersecting line 106 isparallel to the second intersecting line 107. In at least onealternative embodiment, the first intersecting line 106 is not parallelto the second intersecting line 107. Here, at least one of the lightentering face 101, the light exiting face 103 and the extension face 103is not perpendicular to the first coupling face 104 and the secondcoupling face 105.

The first coupling face 104 is substantially parallel and opposite tothe second coupling face 105.

In at least one embodiment, each of the light entering face 101, thelight exiting face 102, the extension face 103, the first coupling face104 and the second coupling face 105 is a flat face.

The light guiding device 10 can be an integral structure or a stackedstructure with multi-layers. In the illustrated embodiment, the lightguiding device 10 is a stacked structure with multi-layers.

The light guiding device 10 can include a plurality of glass substrates11 and a plurality of transparent adhesive layers 12 stacked together.In the illustrated embodiment, the light guiding device 10 can includetwo hundreds glass substrates 11 and one hundred and ninety-ninetransparent adhesive layers 12.

Each of the glass substrates 11 has a thickness less than 200micrometers. In at least one embodiment, the thickness of each of theglass substrates 11 is about 100 micrometers.

The transparent adhesive layer 12 has a refractive index no more thanthat of the glass substrate 11.

The glass substrates 11 and the transparent adhesive layers 12 arealternately arranged along a stacked direction from the extension face103 to the first intersecting line 106. The light guiding device 10 hastwo glass substrates 11 respectively located at two outer sides thereof,along the stacked direction.

Each of the light entering face 101, the light exiting face 102, thefirst coupling face 104 and the second coupling face 105 is defined bythe plurality of glass substrates and the plurality of transparentadhesive layer.

The extension face 103 is an outer face of one glass substrate 11located at one of the two outer sides of the light guiding device 10.

FIG. 3 illustrates a display device 1 of an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The display device 1 can include a plurality of screens 100,a plurality of light guiding devices 10 coupled to the plurality ofscreens 100, and one or a plurality of frames 1002 each located betweenevery two adjacent screens 100. In at least one embodiment, the displaydevice 1 includes even numbers of light guiding devices 10. In theillustrated embodiment, the number of the light guiding devices 10 istwo. The number of the screens 100 is two. The number of the frames 1002is two.

The two screens 100 are arranged side by side. The two screens 100include two light outputting faces 1001 facing the two light guidingdevices 10. The two light outputting faces 1001 of the two screens 100are substantially coplanar. The two frames 1002 are coupled to eachother and located between the two screens 100. The two frames 1002 areintersected with each other.

The two light guiding devices 10 are arranged side by side. The twolight entering faces 101 of the two light guiding devices 10 are coupledto the light outputting faces 1001 of the two screens 100. The lightexiting faces 102 of the two light guiding devices 10 are coupled toeach other. In at least one embodiment, the light exiting faces 102 arein direct contact with each other. The two extension faces 103 of thetwo light guiding devices 10 face each other. The two secondintersection lines 107 of the two light guiding devices 10 are coupledto and overlapped with each other. The two extension faces 103 arecoupled to each other and are collectively define a shielding space 13between the two light guiding devices 10. The shielding space 13 islocated between the light outputting faces 1001 of the screens 100 andthe light exiting faces 102. The two frames 1002 are located in theshielding space 13 between the two light guiding devices 10, which canrealize display without borders.

Orthographic projections of the two light exiting faces 102 on a planewhere the light outputting faces 1001 of the two screens 100 are locatedentirely cover the two screens 100 and the two frames 1002. Orthographicprojections of the two extension faces 103 on the plane where the lightoutputting faces 1001 of the two screens 100 are located cover the twoframes 1002 between the two screens 100. An orthographic projection ofthe second intersecting line 107 on the plane where the light outputtingfaces 1001 of the two screens 100 are located is overlapped anintersecting line of the two frames 1002.

When in use, lights from the screens 100 enter into the light guidingdevices 10 via the light entering faces 101, are guided to the wholelight exiting faces 102, and are refracted out of the light guidingdevices 100 via the light exiting faces 102, which realizes seamlessconnection of the pictures displayed by the two screens 100, no darkarea is existed when users watch the pictures displayed by the screens100 via the light guiding devices 10.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for manufacturingthe light guiding device 10. The example method is provided by way ofexample, as there are a variety of ways to carry out the method. Theexample method described below can be carried out using theconfigurations illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, for example, and variouselements of these figures are referenced in explaining the examplemethod. Each block shown in FIG. 4 represents one or more processes,methods or subroutines, carried out in the example method. Furthermore,the illustrated order of blocks is illustrative only and the order ofthe blocks can change according to the present disclosure. Additionalblocks can be added or fewer blocks may be utilized, without departingfrom this disclosure. The example method can begin at block 401.

At block 401, also referring to FIG. 5, a plurality of glass substrates21 and a plurality of transparent adhesive layers 22 are provided.

In at least one embodiment, the light guiding device 10 can include twohundreds glass substrates 21 and one hundred and ninety-nine transparentadhesive layers 22.

The glass substrates 21 are same to each other in shape, size andconfiguration. Each of glass substrates 21 can be a thin plate. Each ofthe glass substrates 21 can be rectangular. Each of the glass substrates21 has a thickness less than 200 micrometers. In at least oneembodiment, the thickness of each of the glass substrates 21 is about100 micrometers.

Each of the transparent adhesive layers 22 is same to each of the glasssubstrates 21 in shape and size. The transparent adhesive layer 22 has arefractive index no more than that of the glass substrate 21. Each ofthe transparent adhesive layers 22 has a thickness less than that ofeach of the glass substrates 21.

At block 402, also referring to FIG. 5, the glass substrates 21 and thetransparent adhesive layers 22 are alternately stacked together to get astacked structure 210. The stacked structure 210 has two glasssubstrates 21 respectively located at two outer sides thereof, along astacked direction of the glass substrates 21 and the transparentadhesive layers 22.

In at least one embodiment, the stacked structure 210 has ends of theglass substrates 21 flushed to each other. Every two adjacent glasssubstrates 21 are entirely overlapped to each other along the stackeddirection. Every two adjacent glass substrate 21 and the transparentadhesive layer 22 are entirely overlapped to each other along thestacked direction.

The stacked structure 210 can include a bottom face 201, a top face 202,a first side face 203, a second side face 204, a third side face 205 anda fourth side face 206. The bottom face 201 is parallel and opposite tothe top face 202. The first side face 203 is parallel and opposite tothe third side face 205. The second side face 204 is parallel andopposite to the fourth side face 206. The first side face 203, thesecond side face 204, the third side face 205 and the fourth side face206 are connected one by one. The first side face 203 and the third sideface 205 are perpendicular to the second side face 204 and the fourthside face 206. The first side face 203, the second side face 204, thethird side face 205 and the fourth side face 206 each are perpendicularto and located between the bottom face 201 and the top face 202. In theillustrated embodiment, the stacked structure 210 is a cuboid.

At block 403, the stacked structure 210 further defines a firstprecutting plane 207, a second precutting plane 208 and a thirdprecutting plane 209. The first precutting plane 207, a secondprecutting plane 208 and the third precutting plane 209 are notoverlapped to each other.

The first precutting plane 207 is a diagonal plane of the stackedstructure 210. In the illustrated embodiment, the first precutting plane207 extends from an intersecting line of the first side face 203 and thetop face 202 to an intersecting line of the third side face 205 and thebottom face 201.

The second precutting plane 208 is intersected with the first precuttingplane 207 and the third side face 205. In the illustrated embodiment,the second precutting plane 208 and the first precutting plane 207 areintersected at the intersecting line of the top face 202 and the firstside face 203. An intersecting line of the second precutting plane 208and the third side face 205 is parallel to the bottom face 201. Thesecond precutting plane 208 and the third side face 205 collectivelydefine an included angle facing the first precutting plane 207. Theincluded angel between the second precutting plane 208 and the thirdside face 205 is an obtuse angle.

The third precutting plane 209 is intersected with the first precuttingplane 207 and the first side face 203. The third precutting plane 209 isparallel to the second precutting plane 208. The third precutting plane209 and the first precutting plane 207 are intersected at theintersecting line of the third side face 205 and the bottom face 201. Anintersecting line of the third precutting plane 209 and the first sideface 203 is parallel to the top face 202.

At block 404, also referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, the stacked structure210 is cut along the first precutting plane 207, the second precuttingplane 208 and the third precutting plane 209, to get two light guidingdevices 10. The two light guiding devices 10 obtain two light exitingfaces 102 by cutting the stacked structure 210 along the secondprecutting plane 208 and the third precutting plane 209.

The two light guiding devices 10 obtain two light entering faces 101 bycutting the stacked structure 210 along the first precutting plane 207.

In at least one embodiment, the stacked structure 210 is cut by lasercutting, diamond wire saw or water knife cutting or other ways.

The method can further include grinding and polishing the light enteringfaces 101 and the light exiting faces 102 of the light guiding devices10, to make the light entering faces 101 and the light exiting faces 102smooth.

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 illustrate a light guiding device 30 of an alternativeembodiment. The light guiding device 30 is similar to the light guidingdevice 10, a different therebetween is that the light guiding device 30includes a first coupling face 304 and a second coupling face 305. Eachof the first coupling face 304 and the second coupling face 305 is arugged face.

The light guiding device 30 is a stacked structure. The light guidingdevice 30 can include a plurality of glass substrates 31 and a pluralityof transparent adhesive layers 32 stacked together. The glass substrates31 and the transparent adhesive layers 32 are alternately arranged alonga stacked direction of the light guiding device 30. The light guidingdevice 30 has two glass substrates 31 respectively located at two outersides thereof, along the stacked direction. The transparent adhesivelayer 32 located in two adjacent glass substrates 31 has an area equalto an overlapping area of the two adjacent glass substrates 31, alongthe stacked direction of the light guiding device 30.

In the illustrated embodiment, if a distance between rims of every twoadjacent glass substrates 31 along a direction perpendicular to thestacked direction is regarded as an item of a sequence, the sequence isa constant sequence with nonzero item number. In at least onealternative embodiment, the sequence can be an arithmetic sequence withnonzero tolerance, or a geometric sequence with a common ratio which isnot equal to 0 or 1.

FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 illustrate a method for manufacturing the lightguiding device 30. The method for manufacturing the light guiding device30 is similar to the method for manufacturing the light guiding device10, a difference therebetween is that, in the method for manufacturingthe light guiding device 30, a plurality of glass substrates 41 and aplurality of transparent adhesive layers 42 are alternately stacked tohave rims of every two adjacent glass substrates 41 are staggered toeach other along a stacked direction of the glass substrates 41 and thetransparent adhesive layers 42. In the illustrated embodiment, the glasssubstrates 41 have ends thereof staggered.

In the illustrated embodiment, if a distance between rims of every twoadjacent glass substrates 41 along a direction perpendicular to thestacked direction is regarded as an item of a sequence, the sequence isa constant sequence with nonzero item number. The transparent adhesivelayer 42 located in two adjacent glass substrates 41 has an area equalto an overlapping area of the two adjacent glass substrates 41, alongthe stacked direction. In at least one alternative embodiment, thesequence can be an arithmetic sequence with nonzero tolerance, or ageometric sequence with a common ratio which is not equal to 0 or 1.

The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Even thoughnumerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology havebeen set forth in the foregoing description, together with details ofthe structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure isillustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, including inmatters of shape, size and arrangement of the parts within theprinciples of the present disclosure up to, and including, the fullextent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in theclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A light guiding device comprising: a lightentering face; a light exiting face intersecting the light entering faceat a first intersecting line; and an extension face connecting the lightentering face and the light exiting face; wherein the extension face andthe light entering face collectively define an included angle that is anobtuse angle.
 2. The light guiding device of claim 1, further comprisinga plurality of glass substrates and a plurality of transparent adhesivelayers alternately arranged to each other.
 3. The light guiding deviceof claim 2, wherein the transparent adhesive layer has a refractiveindex no more than that of the glass substrate.
 4. The light guidingdevice of claim 2, wherein each of the light entering face and the lightexiting face is defined by the plurality of glass substrates and theplurality of transparent adhesive layers.
 5. The light guiding device ofclaim 4, wherein the extension face is a face of one of the glasssubstrates.
 6. The light guiding device of claim 5, further comprising afirst coupling face and a second coupling face opposite dot the firstcoupling face, wherein each of the light entering face, the lightexiting face and the extension face is located between and connectingthe first coupling face and the second coupling face.
 7. The lightguiding device of claim 6, wherein each of the first coupling face andthe second coupling face are defined by the glass substrates and thetransparent adhesive layers.
 8. The light guiding device of claim 7,wherein each of the first coupling face and the second coupling face isa flat face.
 9. The light guiding device of claim 7, wherein each of thefirst coupling face and the second coupling face is a rugged face. 10.The light guiding device of claim 1, wherein the light entering face andthe extension face are intersected at a second intersecting line, thesecond intersecting line paralleling to the first intersecting line. 11.A display device comprising: two screens arranged side by side, each ofthe two screens comprising a light outputting face; a frame locatedbetween the two screens; and two light guiding devices coupled to thetwo screens and arranged side by side, each of the two light guidingdevices comprising: a light entering face; a light exiting faceintersecting the light entering face; and an extension face connectingthe light entering face and the light exiting face; wherein the lightentering faces of the two light guiding devices are coupled to the lightoutputting faces of the two screens respectively, respective lightexiting faces of the two light guiding devices are coupled to eachother, the extension faces of the two light guiding devices collectivelydefine a shielding space between the light exiting faces and the lightoutputting faces, and the frame is received in the shielding space. 12.The display device of claim 11, wherein the light exiting faces of thetwo light guiding devices have orthographic projections thereof on aplane where the exiting faces of the two screens are located entirelycovering the light outputting faces of the two screens and the frame.13. The display device of claim 11, wherein the extension face and thelight entering face of each of the light guiding device collectivelydefine an included angle facing the light exiting face of the lightguiding device, the included angle being an obtuse angle.
 14. Thedisplay device of claim 11, wherein each of the light guiding devicesfurther comprising a plurality of glass substrates and a plurality oftransparent adhesive layers alternately arranged to each other.
 15. Thedisplay device of claim 14, wherein the transparent adhesive layer has arefractive index no more than that of the glass substrate.
 16. Thedisplay device of claim 15, wherein each of the light entering face andlight exiting face of each of the light guiding device is defined by theplurality of glass substrates and the plurality of transparent adhesivelayers.
 17. A method for manufacturing a light guiding device,comprising: providing a plurality of glass substrates and a plurality oftransparent adhesive layers; stacking the plurality of glass substratesand the plurality of transparent adhesive layers alternately to be astacked structure, the stacked structure comprising a top face, a bottomface opposite to the top face, a side face and an additional side faceparallel to and opposite to the side face; defining a first precuttingplane, a second precutting plane and a third precutting plane to thestacked structure, the first precutting plane extending from anintersecting line of the side face and the top face to an intersectingline of the additional side face and the bottom face, the secondprecutting plane intersecting the first precutting plane and theadditional side face, the third precutting plane intersecting the firstprecutting plane and the side face, the second precutting planeparalleling to the third precutting plane; and cutting the stackedstructure along the first precutting plane, the second precutting planeand the third precutting plane.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein thestacked structure has the glass substrates and the transparent adhesivelayers overlapped to each other along a stacked direction of the stackedstructure.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the stacked structure hasends of the glass substrates flushed to each other.
 20. The method ofclaim 17, wherein the stacked structure has ends of the glass substratesstaggered to each other.